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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28342197">the beauty of the no (and sometimes, yes)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ominous/pseuds/Ominous'>Ominous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All For The Game - Nora Sakavic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops &amp; Cafés, Fluff, Gift Exchange, I LOVE YOU RACHELLE, M/M, POV Jean, in which jeremy has terrible taste in dates every week and jean has had it, theres some kevthea I snuck into the bg for you boo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:40:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,659</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28342197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ominous/pseuds/Ominous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of fighting for his own independence, Jean can't stand to watch other people around him be steamrolled. It especially bothers him when it comes to Jeremy, his overly upbeat regular.</p>
<p>Jeremy’s date doesn’t seem to notice the way Jeremy stills, and Jean can already see where this is going.</p>
<p>Jeremy has been coming to the cafe ever since Jean started working there, and while at first he was just another customer, once this trend of copious (awful) dates became apparent...</p>
<p>It was hard to ignore him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>159</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the beauty of the no (and sometimes, yes)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/gifts">EmeraldWaves</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! This fic is for my best friend Rachelle, featuring her favorite AFTG pairing! We do this exchange every year where we take an AU we don't personally fancy and write each other that AU loool SO RACHELLE I HOPE THIS COFFEE SHOP AU IS ONE YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY! See the end notes for my true sappiness :3c</p>
<p>And thank you cosmicbees for giving this a quick glance over! you're the best!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's not something he's ever thought about before, but watching the scene in front of him, Jean can effectively say his favorite word is 'no.'</p>
<p><em>No</em>.</p>
<p>So simple, so liberating. Not necessarily easy.</p>
<p>The realization dawns on him as the espresso machine whirs behind him, filling the cafe with the bitter scent that will no doubt soak into his clothes. It only adds to his headache, and he pauses mid-mopping to fixate on the table a few yards away.</p>
<p><em>Hm</em>.</p>
<p>Perhaps he should be kinder.</p>
<p>His love of the word 'no' is one of the most surprising things to come out of gaining his freedom from his strict parents, but one he hadn't adjusted to right away. Assertiveness, individuality...</p>
<p>They're concepts he wouldn't have been able to comprehend years ago. He can still remember the weight of the word on his tongue the first few times he started to use it for his own benefit, the single syllable wringing his insides and tying them into perfect, unmanageable knots.</p>
<p>He'd almost thrown up a few times. But it got better; it got <em>exciting</em>, because soon, his 'nos' were no longer met with consequences.</p>
<p>Truly, a drug.</p>
<p>After moving to America to leave his oppressive parents behind, he soon found he was completely out of his element. With only some meager savings to his name, he nearly considered going back to his life of baleful glares and fuck ups, the chains around him tightened by his parents' will.</p>
<p>At the time, he thought himself cowardly, but it was hard to be independent when previously, he had other people telling him where to be and what to do. He was expected to listen and conform, or endure the cruel punishment that dangled over his head.</p>
<p>But not here. Not with his new life. He realized that as soon as he began to carve out a path for himself. He found an apartment in a decent area, albeit with one too many roommates, and a cafe job that helped him with tuition reimbursement at the nearby university. It was minimal, but still something.</p>
<p>It was a fight he was willing to power through, for once. It meant good things, it meant success. It wasn't meaningless, as it had been in the past. Most importantly, it was what he <em>wanted</em>.</p>
<p>And once he'd had that realization, there was no going back. Jean could be the absolute asshole he was always supposed to be, and the 'nos' flowed from his mouth like water spilling through a poorly maintained dam.</p>
<p>Finally bursting.</p>
<p>But...</p>
<p>Either the customer a few seats away hasn't reached that point yet, or he's simply too friendly by nature. Either way, Jean is getting a bit sick of watching these horrible dates unfold from behind the counter.</p>
<p>It's giving him a complex.</p>
<p>"Seriously, have some!" The man's date says as he pushes a rather rich piece of chocolate cake towards Jean's regular, Jeremy. Jean <em>knows</em> it's rich, and especially chocolatey, despite his own dislike of cake. The cafe employs two bakers, one for conventional desserts, and one for more health conscious options. Andrew and Kevin are polar opposites, and often squabble over recipes.</p>
<p>But there's no mistaking it.</p>
<p>That's Andrew's chocolate cake.</p>
<p>
  <em>Rest in pieces.</em>
</p>
<p>Jeremy’s date doesn’t seem to notice the way Jeremy stills, and Jean can already see where this is going.</p>
<p>Jeremy has been coming to the cafe ever since Jean started working there, and while at first he was just another customer, once this trend of copious dates became apparent...</p>
<p>It was hard to ignore him.</p>
<p>Jean squints from over the counter as Jeremy's new date, potential boyfriend #22 if Jean's count is correct, smiles too brightly. "It's delicious, I insist."</p>
<p>And Jeremy doesn't do anything out of the ordinary. He smiles back, staring down at the thick layers of frosting as he picks up the fork. But Jean isn't an amateur, and he's now an expert Jeremy reader. There's a tension in his smile that wasn't there before, a twitch to his frame as he stares down in what is Jeremy's brand of horror.</p>
<p>It's hard to say how Jean can tell, maybe it's his own experience with fear and reluctance. Who knows. It doesn't matter; all he's certain of is this: Jeremy really doesn't want to eat this fucking cake.</p>
<p>He doesn't have to eat the cake.</p>
<p>He <em>shouldn't</em> eat the cake.</p>
<p>Nothing bad is going to happen if he doesn't eat the cake!</p>
<p>And <em>yet</em>—</p>
<p>"O-oh well—" Jeremy begins.</p>
<p>"You can't have tea without a snack," his date ignores him, and then picks up the grueling task of taking over the entire conversation once again. "Anyways, like I was saying, I'm studying—"</p>
<p>Truly, date of the year. Better than #21, but Jean finds he's hardly ever impressed. The best guy was #14, because he had to leave early.</p>
<p>Something in Jean's soul stretches too thin, like a rubber band about to snap. He holds his breath as Jeremy breaks off a piece of the chocolate monstrosity, and Jean's own stomach flip flops at the thought of the sweetness. His hand tightens around the mop handle.</p>
<p><em>Don't do it. Don't you do it. Just say no</em>.</p>
<p>He's begging at this point, but it's hopeless. He's powerless to stop Jeremy from taking a giant bite and forcing his smile all the way through it.</p>
<p>It makes Jean want to flip one of the nearby tables.</p>
<p><em>Fuck</em>.</p>
<p>"Jean, we've been over this," Thea's voice comes out of nowhere, startling him. Her steady tone is shockingly sharp, and it's no wonder she owns the place. She can command the attention and order of her staff with a simple <em>hello</em>. He likes working for her though; he thought she might be too strict at first, but she's generally uncaring as long as they get their jobs done. Her sense of humor hardly ever lands, except with Kevin, and she wears too much purple, but Jean trusts her. She's just as strange as the rest of them, and he finds comfort in that. Also, quite frankly, she can be a huge bitch to asshole customers.</p>
<p>Jean loves it.</p>
<p>What he doesn't love is her ability to know what he's thinking. He whips around to find her eyes aren't even on him; she's counting out the register, bizarre focus not taking away from her ability to sense when her employees are in a panic. Once, Jean had walked in with a slight cold, and without even turning to look at him, he was ordered to go home.</p>
<p>In short, he's pretty sure she's a witch. A witch who dresses like Daphne from Scooby Doo, minus the go-go boots, but still.</p>
<p>He glares, but can't refute it. Thea is rarely wrong.</p>
<p>And...this happens a lot.</p>
<p>See, not only does Jeremy have terrible luck with dates nearly every week, his favorite word seems to be <em>yes</em>. Variations apply; <em>sure, of course, absolutely!</em></p>
<p>Disgusting.</p>
<p>At first, Jean assumed the man just had anxiety, but that was quickly disproven. Yes, the man is clearly a people pleaser, but he's the definition of a social butterfly. People flock to him, and he's a chatterbox when he's allowed to be, never short on stories or questions. He's not sure if it's his looks, charisma, or a mix of it all, but he's never without attention. Even Jean couldn't hate him for too long once he got used to his loud presence in the shop.</p>
<p>They don't talk though...hell, they're strangers. The most interaction they've ever had was the time Jeremy bought Jean a cakepop because he claimed Jean seemed tired.</p>
<p>He doesn't think about it much.</p>
<p>What he <em>does</em> think about however, is the way Jeremy allows people to steamroll over him. It makes no sense; Jeremy is popular, friendly, and he takes up space without even speaking. There's no reason someone like him can't be assertive. He has all the power to be.</p>
<p>For someone like Jean, who has vowed to never be in a vulnerable position again, it makes him want to come to the rescue.</p>
<p>Ha. Imagine that; scared, nervous Jean, sticking his neck out for someone else. At this time, it's just a fantasy. He and Jeremy aren't friends, they're barely acquaintances. It's not his business who Jeremy chooses to spend his time with, even though he has been getting sick of Jeremy's poor date choices.</p>
<p>This one is pissing him off less than the others; sometimes the dates are just awful, dictating the topics, the orders, the destination <em>after</em>. Listening to Jeremy get continuously interrupted, ignored, and bossed around hits a bit too close to home, especially when Jeremy is the definition of a shining star.</p>
<p>He should just burn these fuckers in his wake.</p>
<p>This guy, #22, is mostly just annoying. The thing that's pissing Jean off about this one other than Jeremy's reluctance to stand up for himself, is something only he knows.</p>
<p>After so many instances of Jeremy sneaking off to the bathroom after eating any of Andrew's creations, Jean came to the conclusion pretty quickly.</p>
<p>The motherfucker is <em>lactose intolerant</em>.</p>
<p>Jean scoffs under his breath, moving closer to his supervisor so she can hear. "It's not just with the sweets thing. Aren't you getting tired of him just going along with everything?"</p>
<p>Whether it be where to go to next, his opinions, down to whether or not his major is lucrative...</p>
<p>The guy is so damn agreeable it makes Jean sick.</p>
<p>He inhales deeply as Jeremy gets up from his table, smile strained. <em>I swear if he orders a smoothie...</em></p>
<p>"Jean, leave it," Thea warns, watching Jeremy wait in line. Thankfully, it's Aaron at the register. Jean doesn't have it in him to lace fake politeness into his voice right now.</p>
<p>He whines in the back of his throat. "But—"</p>
<p>"It's none of your business," Thea says, firmly snapping the register shut. He rolls his eyes at her, no longer scared of her ire. He has no reason to be. Thea is firm, but human, and also a hypocrite. She has no problem telling people what she thinks if pushed to a certain point. She winces at that, tugging at her long braid. It's tied at the end with a large, lavender bow. "Even if it is getting pathetic."</p>
<p>
  <em>Yeah, I'll say.</em>
</p>
<p>Jean looks out at the small line, and accidentally catches Jeremy's eye. Jeremy brightens, and waves excitedly, and Jean is unable to deny him. He waves back, his awkward smile probably making him look more like Norman Bates than any normal person. Jeremy never seems to mind. He smiles wider, rocking on his heels.</p>
<p>Ugh.</p>
<p>Thea smiles secretly just as Kevin comes through the back, carrying his newest creation. Jean knows nothing about it, mostly because he tuned Kevin out when he was telling him about it. He can only remember so many types of sugar alternatives. He can't keep up.</p>
<p>"Why do you care so much?" Kevin asks, plopping the mini cakes onto the back counter so he can slice them up into samples. He's looking for some success; his last batch made a little kid cry.</p>
<p>Redemption is necessary.</p>
<p>Thea sends her husband a look that Jean can't read. Kevin's eyes widen. <em>"Oh."</em></p>
<p><em>Couples</em>.</p>
<p>"I...it's infuriating!" Jean reasons, keeping his voice at a whisper as best he can. "Where is this guy finding these men?"</p>
<p>"Shitty Man Depot." Thea shrugs.</p>
<p>
  <em>I—</em>
</p>
<p>Only Kevin laughs. Jean nearly drops the mop, slouching forward as the weight of the world becomes too much for him for the third time that day. "Do <em>you</em> even think you're funny?"</p>
<p>"One large smoothie," Aaron calls back to them, like he's spitting on Jean for good measure. <em>Goddammit</em>.</p>
<p>He sighs, resigned to his fate of making Jeremy's drink that will surely make him sick. And for what? To share with some dumb—</p>
<p>"Hi Jean!" Jean freezes as he steps towards the blenders, head whipping around to see Jeremy staring at him. He waves again, pausing where Aaron is trying to get him to sign his receipt. Jean...doesn't get to see Jeremy up close much. He's usually stranded at the table at the mercy of his date, or Jean isn't up front to take his order. So, it still makes Jean's breath hitch to have his attention. Jeremy just radiates intensity, and his gaze is no different. When Jeremy looks at him, it's like Jean is the only person in the world, completely focused. It goes both ways, and Jean finds his vision narrowing until the rest of the cafe blurs at the edges.</p>
<p>He wonders if this happens to everyone.</p>
<p>Suddenly self-conscious, Jean stuffs his hands into his apron pockets. "Um—hey, <em>hi</em>," he stumbles, and Aaron snorts.</p>
<p>
  <em>Shut up short stack.</em>
</p>
<p>Jean retreats after that, allowing himself to get lost in the trance of his job. He likes that everything comes with steps, it allows him to pace his breathing again, to ground himself. It's weird, he always associated this kind of behavior with anxiety, with nerves. Like when his parents were about to come home, or when he knew he'd done something wrong...</p>
<p>But this feeling is more like a distant cousin of that. It's pleasant, more...fuzzy. He still doesn't quite understand it, but it happens a lot lately, particularly when he has to think about or deal with Jeremy.</p>
<p>Perhaps Jeremy's hopelessness is affecting him more than he thought.</p>
<p>As he mixes in the yogurt, a thought occurs to him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh yeah.</em>
</p>
<p>Quickly, while the smoothie blends, he runs back to the break room to fish around in his bag. He's always prepared, in case it's a day when Kevin wants him to try his weird confections. Jean might like to say no, but friendship is weird. He wants to help, no matter how much it hurts his stomach.</p>
<p>"Here," he says to Jeremy when he returns, pouring his drink into the cup in front of him. He's not sure why, but he knows Jeremy likes to watch the pink swirls layer on top of one another. Jeremy takes the cup from his gratefully, but before he can return, Jean plops two tablets into his palm. Jeremy pauses, staring down at the Tums in question. He blinks once at the tablets, then back up at Jean. It seemed like a good idea, but with that gaze on him, even someone as tall as Jean feels too tiny, too insignificant. Oh god, why is he so embarrassing? <em>Fucking Tums?</em> "For—for the smoothie. I get it."</p>
<p>Kill him.</p>
<p>Jeremy's entire face fills up like an old school thermometer, red beginning at his neck and traveling upwards to the tips of his ears. It's a new expression from him, but not necessarily one Jean wants to see, though his stomach does fizzle at the sight.</p>
<p>"T-thanks," Jeremy says, then ducks his head and runs.</p>
<p>Jean barely stops himself from banging his head on the counter, and feels Thea's breath on the back of his neck as she strolls up behind him.</p>
<p>"Smooth. Get it."</p>
<p>And unfortunately, he does.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>The next time, Jean finally snaps.</p>
<p>Jeremy is on another date, and number #23 is rivaling the last for most annoying. Throughout his cleaning process, Jean has caught bits and pieces of the one-sided conversation. It's a lot of Jeremy nodding and humming as the man "invites" him places. They sound more like orders, and Jeremy is clearly growing more uncomfortable by the second. There's not enough <em>no</em> being thrown around, that's for sure.</p>
<p>Jean storms back behind the counter after a particularly obnoxious line, in which the man asks Jeremy if he likes the beach, and then proceeding to not care about the answer. Jean is sure Jeremy <em>does</em> like the beach, from his sun-kissed skin and sandy shoes, but still.</p>
<p>It's the thought.</p>
<p>Jeremy's social battery has always seemed limitless to Jean, but for once, he sees it drain before his eyes. He considers triggering the fire alarm just to give Jeremy an escape, but Thea is already standing in front of it when he turns, warning palpable.</p>
<p>
  <em>How the fuck?</em>
</p>
<p>Even Andrew, whose on shift tonight, doesn't seem able to take Jeremy's latest predicament. Andrew doesn't care for most people, but his natural protective instincts likely stem from similar roots. He and Jean are alike in that, though they don't acknowledge it. They can just tell.</p>
<p>Andrew isn't one to intervene unless it's on behalf of his boyfriend or the rest of the staff, so he retreats to the back kitchen to avoid having to witness another moment.</p>
<p>Lucky.</p>
<p>Eventually, Jeremy is able to find some relief. By some grace of god, his date has to leave last minute due to some kind of emergency with his roommates, leaving Jeremy blissfully alone. It's the first time Jean has ever seen Jeremy happy to be by himself. He gets his energy from others, the opposite of Jean, but he supposes the company still has to be good huh?</p>
<p>Slowly, Jeremy drags his feet over to the counter, regular bounce gone.</p>
<p>And Jean can no longer help it. The frown on Jeremy's face is too much to take, as if he's internally blaming himself for how horrible things always go. And well...yes, Jean likes to give him shit for not just telling the fuckers off, but ultimately they're still the assholes for not treating Jeremy right. He doesn't seem the type to deserve it. No one is.</p>
<p>So, while Thea is nowhere in sight, and before he can think twice, Jean opens his mouth as Jeremy considers the menu. "You don't always have to do this you know."</p>
<p>Jeremy's gaze snaps to him, and again Jean feels dizzy. The world blurs. Upon noticing Jean, and shaken out of his post-date disaster, Jeremy's cheeks glow. "What?"</p>
<p>And Jean can't back down at this point, after everything.</p>
<p>He looks around, and is happy the cafe is slow. He leans forward, rubbing the back of his neck. His palms are already sweaty. "You know, stay on the date when you're not having fun," he says. It's a bit rich coming from Jean; he hasn't had time for dating or relationships in the past few years, and he hasn't felt the need to seek one out. He's free, so his time is limitless in his eyes. There are certain things he chases with all his might, and others he'll gladly let fall into place if they must.</p>
<p>But Jeremy doesn't know that.</p>
<p>Jeremy seems taken aback at that, and Jean is so familiar with the behavior it's laughable. He senses the denial before Jeremy can't even finish it. "I'm—"</p>
<p>"No you're not," Jean says quietly. Jeremy's features soften, the refusal flowing out of him. Jean's not trying to speak over him, or bulldoze his way of thinking. Never that. Maybe Jeremy can sense it, Jean hopes so. Jean clears his throat. "Sorry. But it just seems like you hardly ever have a good time. It's not my place, I get it but...you can disagree with people, you know? More than that...just, don't let people boss you around."</p>
<p>
  <em>Hell, disagree with me even. Snap at me, anything.</em>
</p>
<p>Jean thinks he'd be so happy to see it, the liberation flowing through somebody else. At that moment, he wants to pull his hair out. He knows it's easier said than done, and he wishes he was better with words. It took him years to stand up for himself, and it was followed by months of doubt and insecurity. It twisted him up and made him question his every decision. He doesn't think it's solved instantly, but his words come from a place of desperation more than a place of superiority or optimism.</p>
<p>Jeremy isn't like him, probably doesn't come from abuse and oppression. These are just dates. Dates, desserts, and typical college kid shit. It's not nearly as big of a deal as it should be, but it matters to Jean.</p>
<p>He wants Jeremy to be able to do what he wants...so he never ends up like him.</p>
<p>But Jeremy doesn't snap at him, doesn't lash out or take it the wrong way. Jean swears he sees his body droop, but it doesn't have that same air of exhaustion or regret as before. In fact, Jeremy smiles. It's small, buttery, not the usual loud grins. It's somehow more genuine that way. Jean's never seen this smile. It melts Jean into a puddle, and not even the feeling of Thea's eyes from a few yards behind him can ruin it. Jeremy bites his bottom lip and nods, coming to some kind of conclusion Jean can't read. "Yeah..."</p>
<p>Jeremy's smile grows, locked on Jean and vibrating with <em>something</em>, and the quiet begins to stretch on for longer than Jean knows how to deal with.</p>
<p>He's glad he didn't overstep, but at the same time...he has no idea what he <em>actually</em> did.</p>
<p>He hears Thea sigh behind him before retreating to the back of the kitchen, and Kevin calls out something in French. It's subtle and offhand, not something anyone would bat an eye at, but Jean hears it. <em>"You noticed."</em></p>
<p>Ah.</p>
<p>And Jean's not quite sure what that means, because he never encountered that. He had to pull himself out of his strife. No one ever noticed him. How would it have felt, if they had?</p>
<p>The silence begins to make Jean feel uncomfortable, and he takes to rearranging the straws in front of him. They're all the same, and he makes them more of a mess than they already were. Kevin can yell at him later. He looks behind him, only to find that Kevin and Thea are now scarce. <em>Of course, now you leave me.</em></p>
<p>Jean sighs, because if he's already dug some unknown grave, he may as well go all the way. "And if you can't tell them to fuck off, I will," he promises. At least until Jeremy gets used to it.</p>
<p>He has no problem with it these days.</p>
<p>Jeremy's mouth forms a small 'o' and Jean tries not to fixate on his lips, curling his fists on the counter as he braces for whatever Jeremy needs to say. Jeremy's eyes go slightly lidded, and he fidgets with the sleeves of his sweater.</p>
<p>For a moment, Jean wonders if his mission failed, if he's just fallen into the cycle of some other prick Jeremy is forcing himself to agree with. But then Jeremy smirks, the most evil he's ever looked to Jean, and Jean feels his entire being shiver. It's...not unpleasant.</p>
<p>"No," Jeremy says, and it's just one word, but oh...oh yes. It's Jean's favorite, for sure. Jean's mouth almost opens, like he's some idiot, and he's unable to do anything other than watch Jeremy slowly drift away.</p>
<p>"I'll take care of it," Jeremy says, and it sounds like a promise. He throws a small wave over his shoulder that Jean reciprocates, like he always does, but this time his ears burn.</p>
<p>He doesn't bother hiding it. Jeremy doesn't hide from him, after all.</p>
<p>And with one last wink, Jeremy is gone, and the world starts to move forward again.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>And Jeremy <em>does</em> take care of it. Or...Jean assumes he does, because the next few times he comes to the cafe, he's alone.</p>
<p>He makes a beeline for Jean each and every time, chatting away whenever Jean has a moment of downtime and following him out to the alley on his breaks. Jean tells him about his studies, his hobbies, even a few things about his estranged parents, and and waits patiently for Jeremy to talk about himself as well. It's not hard; Jeremy is interesting, and Jean likes hearing his voice when he's actually relaxed and having fun.</p>
<p>Well, Jean hopes he's having fun. Jean is.</p>
<p>He learns about Jeremy's own parents, their high expectations mixing awkwardly with their love. It's not hard to figure out where Jeremy's agreeableness stems from, and Jean makes sure he knows that he understands.</p>
<p>It hasn't been long, but Jean finds himself falling into the routine. Still, whenever Jeremy walks in, he expects to see a date tagging along. Months of expectation and repetitiveness are hard to let go of.</p>
<p>So, one day, he asks.</p>
<p>He's joking around with Jeremy, something that's surprisingly easy. Jeremy's sense of humor weirdly compliments Jean's sarcasm and dry responses, and Thea has had to shush them twice for being too giddy.</p>
<p>Jeremy sips on the last of his tea, making sure to slurp so that he can get Jean's half-hearted glare. Jean's busy wiping down the counter when he pauses, considering Jeremy. At Jean's attention, Jeremy brightens, waiting expectantly.</p>
<p>Jean smiles, something becoming far more common these days.</p>
<p>"No more dates?" Jean asks, looking out at the various couples sitting at the tables in the cafe. Jeremy is usually one of them, it's almost eerie not seeing him in the mix. But then again, Jean's relieved. He's not sure why, but the thought of Jeremy on a date bothers him now more than ever.</p>
<p>Thea sighs from the register, and walks to the back without comment.</p>
<p>
  <em>Wow, okay. What?</em>
</p>
<p>Jeremy stops his sipping, plopping the cup down to spin it by the straw. It's an accident waiting to happen. He stares at Jean for a long time, that secret, evil smile dancing on his lips.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't say that," Jeremy says with a hum, and then holds up his cup. "Can I have another one?"</p>
<p>Jean rolls his eyes, but rings up the order. He makes it quickly, and writes Jeremy's name on the cup out of habit.</p>
<p><em>Fine, dodge the question</em>.</p>
<p>Maybe Jeremy is shyer than he thought, or he's being harsher with his date picking. Jean supposes he should be grateful for that, but it still causes a furl of discomfort in his gut.</p>
<p>He shakes it off and prints Jeremy's receipt, making sure to grab his favorite pen for him to use. It's the one with the fluff pink feathers sprouting at the top.</p>
<p>Beaming, Jeremy signs it quickly, scribbling almost. Jean busies himself with checking the time. Jeremy usually leaves for class right about now, and he probably won't see him again until the next day. Jean tries not to be too disappointed. Jeremy is his regular, he'll be back.</p>
<p>Lately though, being confined to seeing Jeremy in the cafe only has started to feel like not enough. All of Jean's friends are also his coworkers though, he never has to schedule extra time with them...</p>
<p>How do people do this?</p>
<p>As he's stuck in thought, on the edge of revelation, Jeremy drops the pen back into the cup in front of Jean and shoulders his backpack. He takes his new tea in his hand, finger drifting over the way his name looks in Jean's handwriting. "See you soon, I hope," Jeremy says, winking as he goes.</p>
<p>
  <em>Um...okay?</em>
</p>
<p>Jean's face glows hot; it's not Jeremy's usual goodbye, but Jean doesn't hate it. At all. He watches Jeremy leave, lingering on void where he once stood, before a loud noise from the back snaps him out of it. He spins around to find Andrew staring at him, fully unimpressed, and he points to Jeremy's receipt on the counter.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, right.</em>
</p>
<p>Jean sighs and grabs the paper, and blinks at what he sees. He tries to catch up, but his heart is faster than his brain.</p>
<p>Again, he doesn't do this, but he could start to. If it's Jeremy, he'll gladly take that step. In an instant, the warmth already blooming in his chest begins to burn, and Jean smiles, unable to shake the joy off for the rest of the day.</p>
<p>When Jean looks down at Jeremy's receipt again, he finds that no, he wasn't imagining it.</p>
<p>There's Jeremy's phone number, clear as day, surrounded by hearts.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>RACHELLE!!! Sometimes I can't believe we're still friends after all these years, and honestly every year just gets better and better. I know we haven't been able to see each other during this pandemic, but we still managed to create many amazing and chaotic moments over the phone and chat. It's just impossible for me to not have fun if you're around, you're my favorite person. Thanks for always being there for me AND FOR READING THIS STRANGE MAFIA SPORTS BOOK LOL. It's the best to talk about with you bc we're so silly about it, I hope this AU gave you the jerejean feels you needed jsdfn I was totally out of my element btw. COFFEE?? AND JEREJEAN? what are you doing to me lmao but I had fun and I hope it's not awful jksdfn. We're not in the same fandom rn but the fact that we can still do our gift exchange and talk for hours about anything and everything will never stop meaning the world to me. I CANT WAIT TO HANG OUT AGAIN. ilusm &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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